Emergency-brake lock



Jan. 2, 1923.

M. 1f. FENLON. EMERGENCY BRAKE LOCK] FILED uic. la, 1920.

Patented dan. 2, i923.,

arrasar Era aja MICHAEL a. rnnnoiv, onwononsfrnn, Massa cnnsnrrs, .essreivon or cnn-Harn To ALFRED A. BIANCHI.; or Wonons'rnn, massacrati-serre.

EMERGENCY-BRAKE LUCK.

Application filed December 13, 1920. Serial No. 30;09.

.To al?, 'whom t may concern:

Be Vit known thatI l, MICHAEL J. Fenton, a citizen ot the United States, residing at ll'orcester. in the county ot llVorcester and State oit Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Emergency-Brake Lock, ot which the following is a speciication.

This invention relates to an automobile lock and the principal object thereof is to provide simple and inexpensive means for positively locking an automobile against operation when the emergency Abrake is set. The invention also involves the provision ot safety devices for preventing tampering with the lool; to tree the machine.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. l is a perspective view oi the front of an automobile showing a preferred embodiment of this invention applied thereto;

Fie. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

r1.2; l l* ig. is a tront elevation; Fie'. 4- is a central sectional view on the line iof Fig. 3;

is a sectional view on the line 5*-5 g. et, and

l* (3 is a plan ot the locking rack.

My device is designed for the purpose oli locking automobiles, but the principle on which this .invention is based is the idea of locking the emergency brake so that although the engine can be started, the machine cannot be run. For this purpose 'I provide the emergency brake lever l() on its shanl with a boi; ll clamped thereto. This box is shown as made in two halves with an opening' at the top and bottom tor the shank or" the hralre lever.. @n one side ot the casing is a cylindrical projection lit screw-threaded on the outer surface and iormed partly on each member of the casing. This is provided with a cap l5 adapted to scr'ew on and ing in gositit'in so that the casing cannot be dismonnted. Furthermore. the two halves ot the casing are rabbetted around their edges to tit each other and prevent relative motion of the two parts.

At the back and iront ot the casing are two pairs of openings 17 spaced apart and located substantiallwv at the same height near the bottom or" the casing. These openings are designed to receive a double rack 18 lixed on a member 19 that is pivoted to a bracket l 20. This bracket can be fixed to the bothold the parts of the castom of the car or to the wall at a short dis-V tance above the bottom. This rack member can be turned up against the seat in an inoperative position when not required as shown in Fig. When it is'turned down into operative position it is located so that the two racks can enter the openings 17.' Tt is curved on an arcconcentric with the pivot of the brake lever l0.

Tnside the casing is a lock 2l. This is provided with a latch 2Q which can conveniently be arranged to extend across the casing behind. the two rear openings. It is beveled on the rear and so arranged that as the racks move into these openings the latch7 which is spring pressed when the lock is locked, will automatically engage the teeth and prevent the emergency brake from being moved forward from any position in which it is left. This is required because the emergency brake is not always lett in exactly the same position when the brake is on. Whatever its position the brake lever will be locked by 'means of the lock against motion forwardly away Jfrom its operative position. Therefore the car cannot be moved.

By being locked, T mean that the lock 2l is lett in such position that the spring latch is yieldingly forced down by the springs in the lock. `When a key is inserted and turned it will move the latch up so as to release the racks.

T have shown also a second lock on the cap, the holt 26 of which is adapted to engage in a notch in the wall and prevent the cap from being unscrewed when the device is locked.

From what has been said it will be understood that the device is of a very simple and inexpensive character and will effecn tively prevent the stealing of a car to which it is applied. Tt does not loclr automatically and therefore does not interfere with any ordinary use ot the car. Furthermore, in

order to lock it, it is not necessary to use the keybut merely to swing` the racks down and then move the brake tar enough to catch into some part or the rack.

Although T have illustrated and described only a single form of the invention T ant aware of the tact that many modifications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing trom the scope ot the invention as expressed in the claims.

Therefore, I do not wish to be otherwise limited to .the details of construction herein shown and described, but what I claim is l. In an automobile, the combination with an emergency brake lever, of a lock mounted on said lever, a pivoted rack connected with the car and adapted to cooperate with said lock to prevent the release of the brake, said rack being adapted to be moved to two positions, in one of which it projects upwardly in the car away from the brake lever, and in the other of which it crosses the brake lever.

2. The combination with the emergency brake lever for an automobile, of a lock movable with said lever, means connected with the car for cooperating with said lock to prevent the release of the brake, a easing Xed on said lever having a spring lock therein, a rack adapted to enter said casing and hold the lock to prevent the retraction of the lever, said casing being formed of two parts having` a cover on the side detachably mounted A and holding thel parts together, and locking means for preventing the removal of the cover.

3. In an automobile, the combination with an emerency brake lever, of a lock mounted on said ever, and a pivoted rack connected with the car and adapted to coeoperate with said lock to prevent the release of the brake and movable on its pivot to inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afliXed my signature. v

MICHAEL J. FENLON. 

